1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to ejection chips for micro-fluid applications, and more particularly, to an ejection chip for an inkjet printhead.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical micro-fluidic printhead, and more particularly, an inkjet printhead, utilizes a micro-fluid ejection device in the form of an ejection chip. Further, the inkjet printhead includes a nozzle plate either attached to or integrated with the ejection chip. The nozzle plate includes a plurality of nozzles for ejecting fluid for printing purposes. Further, the ejection chip includes one or more fluid vias configured thereon and arranged along the plurality of nozzles. The one or more fluid vias facilitate the flow of fluid from a fluid reservoir to one or more ejecting elements of the inkjet printhead.
A traditional ejection chip includes straight fluid vias configured adjacent to a plurality of nozzles. FIG. 1 depicts a layout of an ejection chip 100 that includes at least one fluid via, such as a fluid via 102, a fluid via 104, and a fluid via 106.
The fluid vias 102, 104 and 106 are depicted to be straight fluid vias. The ejection chip 100 also includes a plurality of nozzles, such as a plurality of nozzles 108 configured along the fluid via 102, a plurality of nozzles 110 configured along the fluid via 104, and a plurality of nozzles 112 configured along the fluid via 106. Specifically, the nozzles 108, 110 and 112 are configured along respective longitudinal sides (not numbered) of the fluid vias 102, 104, and 106. As depicted in FIG. 1, a distance between neighboring fluid vias, such as the fluid via 102 and the fluid via 104, of the at least one fluid via may be about 1616.5 micrometer (μm) (depicted by ‘D1’). Further, each fluid via of the fluid vias 102, 104, and 106 may have a width of about 218 μm (depicted by ‘D2’). Furthermore, a horizontal distance between two respective nozzles of the nozzles 108, 110 and 112, configured on either longitudinal side of the respective fluid vias 102, 104 and 106 may be about 24″/1800 (depicted by ‘D3’); a vertical distance between the two respective nozzles of the nozzles 108, 110 and 112, configured on the either longitudinal side of the fluid vias 102, 104 and 106, may be about 1″/1800 (depicted by ‘D4’); a vertical distance between two consecutive nozzles of the nozzles 108, 110 and 112, configured on respective first longitudinal sides (not numbered) of the fluid vias 102, 104 and 106 may be about 1″/900 (depicted by ‘D5’); and a horizontal distance between the nozzles 108 and 110, and the nozzles 110 and 112 configured on the respective first longitudinal sides (not numbered) of the fluid vias 102 and 104, and 104 and 106, may be about 130″/1800 (depicted by ‘D6’).
It has been observed that two consecutive/neighboring nozzles, such as neighboring nozzles of the nozzles 108 configured along the fluid via 102, of the ejection chip 100 may need to have a separation distance (depicted by ‘S’ in FIG. 2) of about 28.2 μm to achieve a print resolution of about 1800 dots per inch (dpi). Further, a flow feature width (depicted as ‘F’ in FIG. 2) between the two consecutive nozzles may be of about 11 μm. It has been observed that the flow feature width needs to be reduced in order to achieve higher print resolutions. However, a typical Photo Imageable Nozzle Plate (PINP) forming process favors wider flow feature separation between two consecutive/neighboring nozzles for achieving a strong adhesion between the flow feature and an ejection chip/a nozzle plate of an inkjet printhead. Consequently, a sufficient value of the flow feature width is desired to achieve enough adhesion with maximum possible resolution for a reliable PINP forming process.
Accordingly, there persists a need for an ejection chip for an inkjet printhead, which overcomes the drawbacks and limitations of prior art ejection chips. Specifically, there persists a need for an ejection chip for an inkjet printhead that has a sufficiently wide flow feature separation and is capable of providing a high print resolution.